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- Three years ago in the western desert area of Bahariya,
a security guard accidently discovered a burial site dating from over two-thousand
years ago. Archaeologists now believe there could be up to ten thousand
mummies buried under the sand, with the majority in immaculate condition.
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- Abdul Mojood patrols the grounds of the ancient temple
of Alexander the Great in the heart of Bahariya, the desert area in the
west of Egypt.
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- Three years ago he was carrying out his work as usual
when his donkey accidently stumbled onto a secret hidden in the sands.
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- His find could prove to be the most significant archeological
discovery in the area for 70 years.
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- "I was working as usual when my donkey broke lose.
I followed it until it stumbled. I went closer and found it had fallen
into a hole in the roof of a tomb. I am happy because the discovery is
good for us and good for the country," said Mojood.
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- Mojood's discovery is said to be the huge burial ground
of what was once a thriving town and is said to be Egypt's biggest find
from the Greco-Roman period, two-thousand years ago.
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- For three years, the tombs were kept secret while the
painstaking work of excavation began.
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- Archaeologists have so far opened four tombs where they
discovered over 100 mummies.
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- But with the burial ground spread over several square
kilometres they estimate there could be up to ten thousand mummies under
the sand.
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- Archaeologists discovered whole families buried together
with the belongings their relatives thought they would need in the afterlife.
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- Miraculously, the tombs had not been looted.
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- A few of the best preserved mummies are now in a local
museum where images of gods and goddesses adorn their waistcoats.
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- The gold masks are all different reflecting the character
of the dead person.
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- For archaeologist Zahi Hawass the find is one of the
most significant of his career.
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- "We know that mummies in the Roman period were in
a bad condition. We know that mummies in the Roman period were completely
ruined. We never really see mummies like this, beautifully gold gilded
and they were looking at me during the excavations as if they were alive,"
said Hawass.
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- Doctor Hawass has already brought one of the mummies,
known as Mr. X, to Cairo to be X-rayed.
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- This could help historians to find out more about the
diet and diseases at that time.
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- However, there are many that feel it is sacrilegious
to dig up the dead.
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- Doctor Hawass says the valuable artifacts will be removed
but no more mummies will be put on display.
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- "It is important to have five mummies to sacrifice
for the safety of all the mummies in the site, these five mummies will
be the ambassadors. This is really how I can stop people in the future.
I am not there all the time. Maybe someone will come after and say open
the tombs. This would be a disaster," said Hawass.
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- The question is whether just five mummies will be enough
to change the fortunes of Bahariya.
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- Two thousand years ago it was the center of a rich winemaking
area.
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- Now it suffers from dwindling water supplies.
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- More excavations are planned but it will be at least
a year before tourists can see the mummies.
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